Pfizer. Saks. Microsoft. The layoff announcements just keep on coming. And they're going to keep on coming throughout the year if the U.S. economy continues its alarming and ever-deepening spiral into the abyss.
More than 2.5 million Americans lost their jobs in 2008. And at least 2 million more jobs are expected to evaporate in 2009, according to the Conference Board Employment Trends Index -- upping the ranks of the unemployed and forcing laid-off employees to dredge their safety nets and call on every available support system. But laid-off employees aren't the only ones who suffer from staff reductions.
Employees who remain employed are prone to greater role ambiguity and job demands that can, in turn, contribute to greater alcohol consumption and depression, according to a 2003 study on the physical and mental-health effects of surviving layoffs, published by the Institute of Behavioral Science. In addition, the study found that layoff survivors often experience worsening physical health: They eat differently, smoke more, suffer from neck and back pain, and increase their use of sick days. Workplace injuries also rise.
"None of the effects are good," said Frank Landy, author of "Work in the 21st Century." An organizational psychologist, Landy specializes in understanding the emotions of work. "Layoffs clearly have emotional and practical consequences for companies and workers."
Those consequences are, unfortunately, long-term. The psychological fallout of surviving a layoff lasts six years, according to the study published by the Institute of Behavioral Science. And the effects of surviving multiple layoffs are cumulative. They add up rather than dissipate.
"It only takes one action of distrust to lose basic confidence in the employer. It's like a romantic relationship. Once the trust has been undermined, it's very, very difficult to recover," Landy said. "There's no data that suggests workers become more resilient. 'I'm a survivor, hear me shout'? It doesn't happen."
Even so, Evan Wagner is giving it his best can-do spirit. Usually, it's with an ample assist from Diet Coke. The IndyMac Bank corporate communications director downs three cans of the stuff each morning to help him cope with the exhaustion and back pain he blames on overwork.
